The differences between barrels of wine are more pronounced than most people expect.
What starts subtle evolves as the wine develops.
Grapes never ripen exactly the same, and those differences are often consistent within a section of the vineyard.
I process grapes as they are picked, so vineyard sections are often crushed, destemmed, and fermented together. Without blending, those small differences stay grouped and get magnified during the first stage of winemaking.
Once fermentation is complete, I press wine into barrels one by one.
Each barrel breathes slightly differently, and small chemical differences change how malolactic fermentation unfolds.
There is no reliable way to predict which barrel will be best, but over time you can taste it.
As I begin bottling each vintage, I select the best single barrel and designate it as Satoshi’s Reserve. The rest I blend together to ensure a cohesive taste profile.
Bottles 1 through 21 of this wine are currently being auctioned on @scarcedotcity.
